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THE SECRET OF HAPPINESS 



MANUALS OF OCCULTISM 



UNIFORM WITH THIS VOLUME 
CLOTH AND GILT 

Price 50 Cents 

By IRVING S. COOPER 

I. Methods of Psychic Development 
Foreword by C. W. Leadbeater 
II. Ways to Perfect Health 

III. The Secret of Happiness 

IN PREPARATION 

IV. Meditation: Its Practice and Results 



MANUALS OF OCCULTISM: NUMBER 3 

The 

Secret of Happiness 

IRVING S. COOPER 

AUTHOR OF 

METHODS OF PSYCHIC DEVELOPMENT 
WAYS TO PERFECT HEALTH 



Revised American Edition 



THEOSOPHICAL BOOK CONCERN 

LAKE VIEW BLDG., 116 S. MICHIGAN AVE. 

CHICAGO 



The Theosophical Publishing House 
Adyar, Madras, India 
1913 



Copyright 1913 

BY 

IEVING S. COOPEE 



©CI.A343470 



PREFACE 



Sometimes when a weary pilgrim has jour- 
neyed for many days to reach a Shrine of 
great renown, he is cheered and strengthened 
by seeing the pointing finger of a guide-post 
reassuring him that he is near his goal. This 
little book — an offering from the heart — is 
intended to be such a guide in this world of 
pilgrims; it cannot bring happiness to its 
readers, but it does point out the Way to that 
gleaming shrine, by following which some 
have found true happiness. That Way is 
not so difficult if trodden with determination 
and with trust in the inner Self ; but those 
who wish to succeed should not attempt it 
half-heartedty. When the nature of that 
Way is understood — for such is the magic of 
the secret of happiness — not only will the 
whole of life be transformed for oneself but, 
what is more important, the lives of many 
others will be blessed. 

I. S. C. 

Villa Cevasco, 
Cornigliano Ligure. 



CONTENTS 



CHAPTER PAGE 

I. The Eternal Quest 1 

The Search for Happiness. A 
True Intuition. The Coiled Ser- 
pent. 

II. The Cause of Unhappiness 12 

The Enthroned Personality. The 
Root of the Trouble. The Inner 
Attitude. The Two Paths. 

III. The Heart or the Secret 22 

The Wish to Serve. Opportunities. 
A Transformation. The Ending 
of Sorrow. 

IV. The Fruit of Action 31 

A Practical Ideal. Life's Lessons. 

V. The Potency of Thought 41 

The Thought Atmosphere. The 
Need for Control. Winged Mes- 
sengers. Learning to Think. 



CONTENTS 



CHAPTER PAGE 

VI. The Alchemy of Love 50 

A Powerful Motive. The Realm 
of Love. The Nature of Love. 
The Magic Glow. 

VII. The Apotheosis of Service 59 

The Razor's Edge. What Consti- 
tutes an Occultist. The Life of 
the Occultist. The World-Plan. 
Occult Progress. Spiritual Chan- 
nels. 



The Secret of Happiness 



CHAPTER I 

THE ETERNAL QUEST 

Men who do not know work to gain wealth and 
power, but these are at most for one life only and 
therefore unreal. . . . The things which most 
men desire are not worth having; when this is really 
felt, not merely said, all desire for them ceases. 

— At the Feet of the Master 

The Search for Happiness 

All nature is engaged in a ceaseless quest — 
the search for happiness. Every living crea- 
ture shares this yearning; it is of the essence 
of life itself. Each flower and shrub and 
tree rejoices after a refreshing shower and 
seems to radiate gladness when bathed in 
golden sunshine, and the joyous play of ani- 
mals when free from hunger and the fear of 
man bears witness to the happiness inherent 
in nature. 

1 



2 



THE SECRET OF HAPPINESS 



Among human beings a yet more intense 
yearning is found, and though they follow 
many different pathways in their search, the 
goal is always the same. We are all seeking 
happiness, though our ideas as to how it may 
be gained are as varied as the characters of 
men themselves. The search is not confined 
to one class or time ; all men of all ages have 
shared in it — laborer and poet, artist and 
philosopher, scholar and scientist — all have 
sought and still seek happiness which, like 
an alluring, teasing sprite, tantalizes us with 
hopes, yet dances out of reach when we at- 
tempt to grasp it. 

The ways in which happiness is sought 
vary also with the age of the souls who seek 
it. Child-men, those who stand upon the 
lower reaches of the long road of human at- 
tainment, try vainly to find happiness In 
coarse pleasures and indulgences — revels and 
orgies of sense and passion, while the more 
advanced seek by other means to gain the 
same prize. Some imagine that it comes 
with social position, or while mingling in the 



THE ETERNAL QUEST 



3 



company of brilliant men and women ; others 
attempt to find it through the pleasures of 
travel or by the acquirement of wealth and 
power, fame and honor ; some seek it through 
knowledge, through research, through in- 
vestigation into the secrets of nature; some 
delve into the mysteries of music and of 
painting, while others believe that happiness 
can only be found by the aid of religious 
practices and ceremonies, by the following of 
a devout and contemplative life, or by with- 
drawal from the world and the practice of 
austerities. 

Each man's conception of the source of 
happiness is peculiar to himself ; the impor- 
tant point to remember is that all are engaged 
in the same eternal quest. None are exempt ; 
the miserable beggar who crouches at the cor- 
ner of the street is filled — even as we are — 
with the same longing. In this mankind is 
one. The most powerful motive spurring 
men to action is desire, and the heart of de- 
sire is this yearning for happiness. Whether 
it be distorted into sense gratification, physi- 



4 



THE SECRET OF HAPPINESS 



cal content, emotional pleasure or mental 
satisfaction — all of which soon vanish like 
pricked bubbles — nevertheless the longing 
still endures and will continue to do so until 
the secret of happiness is known. 

A True Intuition 

It is a true intuition which tells us that 
happiness is our birthright, that causes us to 
shrink from sorrow and protest against suf- 
fering, to accept joy without question when 
it comes, as something akin to our own na- 
ture. An imperative instinct affirms that 

The Soul of Things is sweet, 

The Heart of Being is celestial rest. 

Why is this so? If we turn to the great 
scriptures of the world we shall find the an- 
swer plainly given. It has long been pro- 
claimed in the East that "Brahman is Bliss 95 
and in the West we have been taught that 
"God is Love when the world is thus united 
in thought we may be sure that it voices an 
eternal truth. And to this truth we should 



THE ETERNAL QUEST 



5 



not forget to add another which has been told 
us many times by the Sages of old, and that 
is, the unity of the human Spirit and God. 

We all recall the beautiful prayer of the 
Christ : "That they all may be one, as Thou, 
Father, art in me and I in Thee, that they 
also may be one in us," and in the words of 
St. Paul: "But to us there is but one God, 
the Father, of whom are all things, and we 
-in Him;" while the lovers of the Gita will 
remember the statement of the divine Lord: 
"Nor is there aught, moving or unmoving, 
that may exist bereft of Me." 

By inevitable logic we deduce from these 
premises that the human Spirit in its essence, 
which is one with God, shares the eternal 
bliss of that mighty Life which is the source 
and support of the universe. In this world 
of physical activity, where the power of the 
Spirit is dwarfed and limited by the bodies in 
which it is clothed, this inherent attribute of 
bliss manifests itself as the longing for happi- 
ness. 

Have there not been moments in our lives 



6 THE SECRET OF HAPPINESS 



when, lifted out of our usual thought atti- 
tudes by emotional exaltation or spiritual 
self-surrender, there has swept over us an 
indescribable feeling of utmost joy and bliss, 
under the sway of which our daily worries 
and troubles seemed as unreal as forms as- 
sumed by smoke, and the much-prized plans 
and possessions of our small personal selves 
as trivial as the toys of a child? These flashes 
of the inner life, which can neither be com- 
manded nor invoked, but must be awaited in 
the silence of the lower mind, tell us of what 
we are, reveal to us something of the view- 
point of the soul-consciousness to which our 
brains do not normally respond. 

We are like people living and struggling 
amidst the phantasms of a troubled dream, 
believing that the vague forms about them 
are real, thinking that the sorrows and dis- 
appointments, trials, privations and griefs 
which visit them are verities. It is only when 
the life of the Spirit descends and floods the 
mind and brain, that we really wake and un- 
derstand that all we have gone through and 



THE ETERNAL QUEST 



7 



may experience here on earth are but as the 
scenes and figures of a dream. 

The Coiled Serpent 

Long ago in an eastern land an illuminated 
teacher taught that we would 

find the blossoms of life, 
But under each flower a serpent coiled. 

How true this is of nearly all our efforts to 
find happiness ! We are urged on and on by 
endless desires; no sooner is a goal attained, 
an object gained, than we find that the happi- 
ness which we thought dwelt there has flown, 
that as we grasped the desired blossom of life 
we felt only the sting of disappointment and 
dissatisfaction. Continually we seek the at- 
tractions of the world and yet somehow they 
do not satisfy. When finally we possess that 
which we have intensely desired and labored 
hard to gain, it loses its attraction, and we 
turn away from it to something else which we 
think will bring happiness, but in vain. For 
we are parched with 



8 



THE SECRET OF HAPPINESS 



that thirst which makes the living drink 
Deeper and deeper of the false salt waves 
Whereon they float, pleasures, ambitions, wealth, 
Praise, fame, or domination, conquest, love; 
Rich meats and robes, and fair abodes and pride 
Of ancient lines, and lust of days, and strife 
To live, and sins that flow from strife, some sweet, 
Some bitter. Thus Life 's thirst quenches itself 
With draughts which double thirst. 

Men have toiled to gain wealth, they have 
endured terrible hardships, borne up under 
losses, faced the ugly side of human nature 
to win it, only to find that happiness did not 
come with money. With their wealth they 
could buy anything on the markets of the 
world save sympathy, true friendship and 
love; but what is life without these? 

Others have sought power, to become lead- 
ers of men ; but is not Bismarck credited with 
having said: "During the whole of my life 
I have not had twenty-four hours of happi- 
ness?" Those who rule men and govern 
affairs are so often cramped and thwarted in 
their efforts, they are so suspected, envied 
and slandered, are fought with such dishon- 



THE ETERNAL QUEST 



9 



orable weapons, that they are often oppressed 
with a sense of failure, of isolation, of hopes 
unfulfilled. 

There are many who seek happiness 
through knowledge, who are eager to make 
new discoveries in science and win the appre- 
ciation of their fellow workers and the respect 
of the world. And yet, whatever discoveries 
they may make, there is always a feeling that 
all they have done is paltry compared to that 
which remains to be accomplished, that no 
matter how far they have hew r n their way 
towards the frontier of research, there are 
greater realms beyond ; so even here the sting 
of the unaccomplished is felt. Especially is 
this true of one who has sought recognition 
and fame, and yet after years of labor and 
exertion, remains unrewarded and unrecog- 
nized. 

How many an author has offered his books 
to the world — as precious to him as children 
to a mother — -confident that through them 
he will win happiness, personal comfort and 
the praises of his fellows; but how many have 



10 THE SECRET OF HAPPINESS 

been overwhelmed by barbed criticism, lack 
of appreciation, misunderstanding and empty 
honors. 

Some strive for social position and a high 
station in life; they spend years in courting 
the favor of others in order to gain some 
fancied rank, some prize, and in the end — 
a vision of fleeting victories, memories of 
faithless friends, satiety, weariness, and an 
overpowering sense of nothing gained. 

People have sought to ensure happiness 

for themselves in some future existence — to 

acquire merit or make good karma, as the 

Easterns say; to lay up treasures in heaven 

in the Christian phrase — by living a life of 

religious formalism, ceremonial strictness, and 

puritanical avoidance of worldly pleasures. 

Some are even so eager to secure a pleasant 

time for themselves in the world to come that 

they forget to spread happiness among those 

round them here, not realizing that he 

Who seeks for heaven alone to save his soul, 
May keep the path, but may not reach the goal. 

Such a religious life is too often one of outer 



THE ETERNAL QUEST 



11 



observance and not of inner attitudes, and 
sometimes in hours of trial, of bitter pain and 
suffering, such people find themselves unsup- 
ported by their unlived beliefs, and left there- 
fore without consolation. When thus cast 
adrift they are often victims of despair and 
anguish. 

So all the world over, as we turn from man 
to man, we find each one engaged in the quest 
for happiness. Yet only a few ever gain it. 
Why this failure, this heart-ache, this disap- 
pointment? Surely the trouble must lie with 
ourselves and not with God's universe, which 
is surrounded with His boundless Love, and 
filled with His perfect Life. 



CHAPTER II 



THE CAUSE OF UNHAPPINESS 

Selfishness has many forms, and when you think 
you have definitely killed it in one of them, it arises 
in another as strongly as ever. But by degrees you 
will become so full of thought for the helping of 
others that there will be no room, no time, for any 
thought about yourself. 

— At the Feet of the Master 

The Enthroned Personality 

Our thoughts and desires nearly always 
center round ourselves. We think of people 
and events as circling round our personalities 
like planets round a sun, instead of looking 
upon ourselves as small units in a greater 
whole. Indeed, one of the easiest ways to 
capture a man's attention and win his regard 
is to let him talk about himself and listen 
sympathetically to w r hat he has to say. 

Our affairs are to us of primary impor- 
tance, and we continually judge everything 
which happens in the light of our own needs, 
12 



THE CAUSE OF UNHAPPINESS 



13 



our likes and dislikes, our feelings and preju- 
dices. Theoretically we may regard the wel- 
fare of others as more important than our 
own, but practically and oftentimes uncon- 
sciously we place ourselves first. When an- 
other man tells us of his troubles, do they 
ever seem as arduous as our own, and when 
he speaks of his plans and hopes, are they 
really as interesting as those which we have 
in mind? 

This self-centering tendency may easily be 
observed if we are attentive to the little 
thoughts and questions which float about in 
the back-ground of our minds. Do we not 
often say to ourselves: "I think I can do 
better than that ! I don't like that at all. I 
wonder why that person doesn't use more 
common-sense. Does he mean me? How 
much money can I make out of that? Why 
didn't I think of that before! How nice I 
should look in that dress. I believe they are 
talking about me," The stream of such little 
thoughts constantly running on bears wit- 
ness to the self -centered attitude of the 



14* THE SECRET OF HAPPINESS 



thinker, because, if we carefully analyze the 
nature of these thoughts, we notice that they 
are always tinged with a sense of superiority, 
and animated by a feeling of personal like or 
dislike-. 

We are miserable when our affection is not 
returned by another; we brood over fancied 
slights and are furious about imaginary in- 
juries and wrongs; we resent lack of appre- 
ciation, nourish pride, harbor jealousy, dis- 
play conceit and meditate revenge — often- 
times without actually realizing the true na- 
ture of the emotions which dominate us. If 
our attitude of mind is questioned, we are 
able instantly to justify it to our own satis- 
faction, and we consider ourselves wronged 
and misunderstood people if anyone suggests 
that all the fault perhaps may not lie with 
the other person. 

This unfortunate habit of enthroning one's 
personality is universal, and none, except 
those who are approaching the stature of the 
Perfect Man, are entirely free from the 
tendency. To be self-centered, and therefore 



THE CAUSE OF UNHAPPINESS 15 

selfish, is apparently necessary in the early 
stages of a soul's development, because by 
thinking continually of self, being spurred 
to effort by ambition and burning desire, and 
sustained by personal pride, a strong indi- 
viduality is gradually formed. When, how- 
ever, the soul is more mature as a result of 
hundreds of incarnations on earth, these bar- 
riers of selfishness must be leveled in order 
that the more spiritual qualities — helpfulness, 
devotion, love and compassion — may have 
opportunity to manifest. 

The Root of the Trouble 

If we dispassionately study the nature of 
the desires which fill us, the motives which 
cause us to act, we shall find that we are 
always seeking something for ourselves, 
either some physical possession, some pleasure 
or gratification, some advancement or honor, 
some praise or recognition, some friendship 
or love. In all of them some element of self 
creeps in, some tinge of selfishness. We may 



16 



THE SECRET OF HAPPINESS 



sincerely believe ourselves to be thinking and 
working entirely for the good of others, yet 
—all unconsciously — we secretly long for 
commendation, recognition and success, and 
when these do not come we feel unhappy, 
sometimes without realizing why. 

So long as our happiness is dependent 
upon what the outer world can give us, either 
in the wa}^ of possessions or applause, of 
pleasures or successes, it is impermanent, and 
will sooner or later fade away into discontent 
and disappointment. So long as we are our- 
selves the objects of our first consideration, 
true happiness is impossible. We may strive 
for and gain all the attractions the earth can 
offer, we may lift ourselves to the highest 
pinnacle of fame, the whole world may bow 
in homage at our feet, and yet happiness will 
not be ours. 

The root of the trouble is selfishness, the 
seeking for personal gain and advancement, 
for pleasure and comfort, for praise and 
honor. Only when we learn to toss all such 



THE CAUSE OF UNHAPPINESS 



17 



longings aside and devote ourselves unselfishly 
to the welfare of others, to the service of hu- 
manity, shall we receive an insight into the 
nature and source of happiness. 

The Inner Attitude 

Temporary satisfaction alone comes from 
external things ; happiness is horn from our 
inner attitude towards life and events. To 
gain it we need not change our outer life, it 
is not necessary to take up another occupation 
or move to a distant city or land, it is need- 
less to enter society, to obtain power and posi- 
tion — all these things have nothing to do with 
happiness, and all our efforts to invoke happi- 
ness from without will only leave us exactly 
where we were before. 

But when we learn to change our inner 
mind, the whole aspect of life is transformed; 
it becomes beautiful and wholly attractive, 
because it is instinct with the Divine. When 
we learn to ask nothing for ourselves but fill 



18 THE SECRET OF HAPPINESS 



our hearty with thoughts of others, then as 
has truly been said, we shall have no time to 
think of ourselves; this once accomplished, 
happiness is ours. 

When we thus change our motive for ac- 
tion, and substitute thought of others in 
place of desire for ourselves, there will grad- 
ually dawn within our consciousness a clearer 
understanding of the nature of the secret of 
happiness. Its nature can only be suggested, 
never imparted; each man must fathom the 
secret for himself. He may gain hints from 
the speech of others, from the study of books, 
from meditation, but the secret will not be 
mastered or even understood until he com- 
mences to live a life of service. Walt Whit- 
man glimpsed a great truth when he wrote: 

No one can acquire for another — not one; 
No one can grow for another — not one. 

But when once mastered, this secret bestows 
upon its possessor the understanding of many 
other secrets such as may only be spoken of 
in the Holy of Holies itself. 



THE CAUSE OF UNHAPPINESS 19 



The Two Paths 

All men are not yet ready to serve others ; 
they have still to learn by actual experience 
that service of self and any number of pos- 
sessions do not bring permanent happiness.. 
The pangs of disappointment and dissatis- 
faction which inevitably follow every selfish 
desire, alone can teach a man to turn his 
thoughts from a self -centered to a God-cen- 
tered world, and to learn to see in every man 
the Life of Him that pervades all nature. 

The intensity with which the ideal of 
brotherhood appeals to us, and the sincerity 
with which we try to make it manifest in 
service, indicate our soul age. For we, as 
s.ouls, did not commence our evolution at the 
same time; some souls are old in experience, 
having gathered the harvests of wisdom of 
many lives on earth; others are only in the 
kindergarten of life, and must incarnate 
many times before they can master the greater 
lessons taught by the world. 

In certain Eastern Scriptures mankind is 



20 



THE SECUET OF HAPPINESS 



said to be treading two paths ; the path away 
from God-knowledge on which the hard les- 
sons of life taught by self-seeking and 
ignorance are learned, and the path of return 
on which those mature in worldly experience 
may learn to love their fellow-men, and 
through that love gain God-knowledge. Our 
interests and attitude toward our fellows indi- 
cate whether we are upon the path of forth- 
going or the path of return. 

If our thoughts turn chiefly to our own 
welfare and advancement, and only inci- 
dentally to the needs of others, if our day- 
dreams have nothing in them of the magic 
of altruistic feeling, then we are upon the 
path which leads away from knowledge of our 
divine origin, and have still before us many 
lives of strenuous physical experience which 
will teach us those lessons that we come here 
to get. 

But if we are glad to assist another when- 
ever there is an opportunity, if we work 
more for our families than for ourselves, if 
in the struggle of daily life we try to do what 



THE CAUSE OF UNHAPPINESS 21 



is right and just despite personal loss, if we 
feel our responsibility for the wrongs society 
commits and strive to alleviate them so far 
as lies in our power, then we have turned our 
steps into the path of return and are ready 
to search for the secret of happiness. 

We should not expect all men to be stirred 
by the same ideals which inspire us, and if 
the thought of service leaves untouched an- 
other to whom we voice it, we should be big 
enough to see that he is treading the path 
which is best for his growth, and that in some 
future life he will understand and follow the 
ideal of service which now to him seems so 
barren and unattractive. The acceptance of 
an ideal as a rule of life is the response of 
the soul to that which it knows to be true; 
the older the soul, the more the life led on 
earth is that of an idealist and altruist. 



CHAPTER III 



THE HEART OF THE SECRET 

You must be active in doing good. You must be 
so filled with the intense desire of service that you 
are ever on the watch to render it to all around you — 
not to man alone, but even to animals and plants. 
You must render it in small things every day, that the 
habit may be formed, so that you may not miss the 
rare opportunity when the great thing offers itself 
to be done. 

— At the Feet of the Master 

The Wish to Serve 

The dreams of childhood and youth are 
oftentimes the thoughts of the soul. How 
many a youth and maiden, while walking in 
the forest or musing upon the shore, has 
dreamed happy dreams of helping the world, 
of performing valiant deeds of heroism, of 
righting wrongs and bestowing vast sums of 
money upon the needy poor. Of course, each 
dreamer is the modest hero or heroine of 
every exploit, but still the dreaming tells of 
22 



THE HEART OF THE SECRET 23 

the existence of an inward aspiration, which 
all too soon is quenched in the hurry and 
struggle of daily life. 

Even after we reach maturity there often 
lingers in us the wish to serve, to help those 
around us in their trials, to make life for 
others easier, happier, and freer from care 
and heart-ache. But we sigh when we think 
of our duties, our insufficient means, our toil- 
filled hours, and put all such thoughts away 
as impracticable. We say to ourselves that 
if our conditions were only otherwise, we 
would gladly spend every hour in serving 
mankind, but as things are, it is impossible. 

This attitude is based upon an entire mis- 
conception of the meaning and scope of serv- 
ice. We need not modify our outer life to 
serve others; it is not necessary that we 
should take part in altruistic movements, for 
service is not confined to slum work, to prison 
reform, to religious activities, to the found- 
ing of schools and the maintenance of hos- 
pitals. If we will, we may serve anywhere 
and at any time with our existing abilities 



24 THE SECRET OF HAPPINESS 

and environment ; all that is needed is to take 
advantage of every opportunity that offers 
itself. 

Opportunities 

If we are attentive to the needs of others, 
if we are eager to seize every opportunity to 
serve, no matter how trivial it may be, then 
we shall find that each moment of the day can 
be used for the helping of others, and there- 
fore filled with true and abiding happiness. 
The degree of our happiness is determined 
by our ability to forget ourselves and turn 
our attention outwards to the needs and hap- 
piness of others. 

Service is not to be gauged by the size and 
importance of the act ; it matters not whether 
it attracts attention and applause or whether 
it is performed unseen and unknown. All 
work is service when done for the sake of 
others, and no act is too small to be worthy 
of our attention when through it we can make 
another's pathway smoother and easier. And 



THE HEART OF THE SECRET 25 

when we thus work we should have in mind 
not only our human brothers, but also the 
plants and animals which surround us, for 
they too are living creatures, learning lessons 
from life ; and by learning to regard ourselves 
as their elder brothers, and seeking to stimu- 
late their growth, we shall find that the world 
is better for our presence and that we are 
happier for the service. 

Let me tonight look back across the span 

'Twixt dawn and dark, and to my conscience say— 

Because of some good act to beast and man — 
"The world is better that I lived today.' 9 

A Transformation 

What potency there is in this ideal of serv- 
ice, this earnest wish to help those who sur- 
round us! The whole mind becomes so 
attuned to the thought of others that no 
thought of self can find an entrance, because 
self no longer interests us. Since we are not 
seeking something for ourselves, there is no 



26 THE SECRET OF HAPPINESS 

personal disappointment if nothing is re- 
ceived. The welfare of others becomes far 
more important to us than our own, and after 
a time we learn to consider as wasted any time 
that is spent in worrying over our own dif- 
ficulties and trials, and in rejoicing over our 
small successes. We quietly accept each situ- 
ation when it comes, study it, if possible mas- 
ter it, and under all circumstances try to 
utilize it to the best advantage of all whom 
it affects. 

If we are fully occupied with the needs of 
the people around us, if we are planning and 
working to make others happier, wiser, 
healthier and stronger, then whatever sorrows 
come to us seem insignificant compared to 
theirs, whatever losses we may sustain are as 
nothing when placed side by side with the 
losses which they have experienced. In this 
way, by eliminating the sources of unhappi- 
ness — self-regard and self-seeking — we find 
that the heart is untroubled, that the sting is 
taken out of life. 

Because we think of others and not of our- 



THE HEART OF THE SECRET 27 

selves many unlovely traits of character, such 
as anger, jealousy, envy, hatred, greed, can 
find no place in us. We are freed from de- 
pression, because depression is born of self- 
regard; we transcend ingratitude, spite, gos- 
sip, lust, thoughtlessness, discourtesy, be- 
cause they are the progeny of selfishness, and 
when all our thoughts are turned away from 
self, selfishness withers and dies from lack of 
nourishment. 

It is often extremely difficult for us to 
maintain our faith in human nature, expe- 
riencing as all of us do, ingratitude, disloy- 
alty, baseness and sourness from those with 
whom we have dealings, unless we forget our- 
selves in service and ask for no reward. We 
are offended and hurt when others do us some 
ill-turn, only because our love for self is 
greater than our love for them. "Love asks 
for nothing but the right to give." Of course, 
it is natural to regret the base actions of 
others for their own sakes, but we may always 
be supported by the knowledge that the 
Divinity within them must ultimately triumph. 



28 THE SECRET OP HAPPINESS 



The Ending of Sorrow 

Sometimes though the heart desires to 
serve, yet it is still torn with sorrow and 
anguish over the loss of some loved one, whose 
absence leaves a sense of emptiness every- 
where, and memories of whom come with over- 
whelming force as we go to familiar haunts 
or take up the duties of the day. How can 
happiness come to those who have such cause 
for sorrow, and think that never again on 
earth will they meet those, the sound of whose 
very foot-falls was dear? 

Though we should speak the truth gently, 
yet it is necessary to say that the cause of 
such sorrow is ignorance — ignorance which 
may be removed with a little study. There is 
ample evidence now available to prove that 
death does not end all, that it is but the deser- 
tion of the physical form by the consciousness, 
which in the process gains liberation, not anni- 
hilation. Those who have studied the discov- 
eries of psychical science know that belief in a 
life after death need not rest now upon pious 



THE HEART OF THE SECRET 29 

faith or upon statements made in ancient 
books ; it may be solidly based, if we take the 
trouble to examine the evidence, either upon 
first-hand knowledge or upon the verified 
statements of those living among us to-day 
who can see where we are blind. 

Millions of people through all periods of 
history have had dreams and visions hinting 
at the existence of a vast unseen world sur- 
rounding us. In modern times, because of the 
scientific spirit of the age, statements of many 
hundreds of reliable people have been gath- 
ered together and published by societies 
existing for such research. In addition to 
these collections of invaluable data, there are 
thousands of sensitive people more or less 
consciously in touch with the unseen world 
who, though their statements are fragmentary 
and often inaccurate, nevertheless all agree 
with the conclusion that death is purely 
physical and does not affect the human mind 
and emotions. 

Evidence of still greater value is to be 
found in the published researches of Theo- 



so 



THE SECRET OF HAPPINESS 



sophical experts, who have been able after 
years of careful training to fully contact and 
study the conditions and laws of this unseen 
realm, with the same precision and care that 
a scientist uses in his investigation of the 
physical world. What such experts have 
written is of the utmost importance, and they 
all state emphatically that death is a mere 
incident and not a tragedy, that the con- 
sciousness can never be destroyed, that those 
we love are near us after their death sep- 
arated from us only by barriers erected by 
our insensitive brains, that when we go to 
sleep at night we leave our slumbering bodies 
and are with those whom we mistakenly think 
we have lost. 

The knowledge we gain through carefully 
studying this evidence is sufficient, even in 
the absence of any personal experience, to 
rob death of all its agony, its sting, its heart- 
ache. Trust in the divine Wisdom and Good- 
ness replaces doubt and blasphemy; insight 
drives away ignorance; joyousness reigns in 
the place of sorrow. 



CHAPTER IV 

THE FRUIT OF ACTION 

You must do right for the sake of the right, not in 
the hope of reward; you must work for the sake of 
the work, not in the hope of seeing the result; you 
must give yourself to the service of the world because 
you love it, and cannot help giving yourself to it. 

— At the Feet of the Master 

A Practical Ideal 

To direct one's actions according to the 
ideal of service does not incapacitate one for 
daily life; rather it increases one's efficiency, 
power and usefulness in the world. A man 
need not change his occupation in order to 
serve humanity; his work may be exactly the 
same as it was before he tried to live this ideal, 
for we serve not by what we do, but by the 
way in which we do it. Any work is trans- 
muted into service by the alchemy of motive : 
perform your daily duties for the sake of 
others, and the labor becomes service. A man 
31 



32 THE SECKET OP HAPPINESS 



animated by such a motive labors harder and 
with greater effect, he puts more energy and 
thought into what he does, he seeks perfec- 
tion and skill in every action, not for reward, 
the fruit of action, but because in doing his 
work he is serving mankind. 

Thy business is with action only, never with its 
fruits; so let not the fruit of action be thy motive, 
nor be thou to inaction attached. 

Civilization as a whole is intimately con- 
nected with every one of us, and in it each 
man has his part to play. If a single person 
shirks his duty or performs unfaithful work, 
the wheel of human progress is retarded a 
little, even as in a factory the turning of a 
giant wheel is rendered less perfect and effi- 
cient if a single cog breaks or cracks. Each 
activity is part of a great scheme for the 
development of humanity, for from the hid- 
den side of things, civilization is seen to be 
an elaborate system of schooling by which 
souls learn lessons needed for their growth. 

Thus a clerk, working unnoticed and un- 
known in the simple routine of an office, may 



THE FRUIT OF ACTION 



33 



rightly feel in his heart that if he does his 
work well, he is making civilization more per- 
fect and is thereby serving humanity. If he 
takes up his work with this ideal in mind, he 
works with renewed vigor because he is in- 
spired by the thought of service ; he thinks no 
longer of how much will come to him in the 
way of salary or promotion, but of how well 
he can do the work which has been entrusted 
to him. He seeks perfection in every detail, 
he aims at skill in action. Obviously a man 
animated by such an ideal will be of far more 
value to his employer than another who is 
thinking all the time of his salary and is 
careful to do no more work than is actually 
required of him. Which of the two is more 
apt to be promoted? Is it not evident then 
that the man who is seeking service and not 
reward will be the most successful? 

If later on in life such a clerk rises to a 
more important position and acquires wealth 
— as he is bound to do if he is devoted to his 
work — he will instinctively regard himself 
not as the owner but as the custodian of the 



84 THE SECRET OF HAPPINESS 

money which he has earned, and he will use 
it as wisely as he can to assist those with 
whom he comes in contact. 

So even into the business world the ideal 
of service may be carried, and it does not in 
any way conflict with efficiency; on the con- 
trar} r , it increases it a thousand-fold, because 
it turns a man's whole attention to the details 
of his work and fills him with an earnest desire 
to be skilful in everything he does. Also 
when a man regards his work as service, he 
will do a thousand times more than one who 
is always figuring how much he may gain by 
every action. 

A teacher in a school or college may think 
of the salary which that position brings, or 
may joyously regard the work as service, be- 
cause through teaching, souls inhabiting 
youthful bodies may be helped in their 
growth. With such a motive in mind — that 
of preparing boys and girls to be noble men 
and women— no effort is too great, no sacri- 
fice too heavy to be made for them. Thus a 
teacher who carries in his heart the ideal of 



THE FRUIT OF ACTION 



35 



service to humanity, becomes far more valu- 
able to the race, far more a power in the 
moulding of human life, than one who works 
for the little financial return which is offered 
and does not put his heart into the teaching. 

An author or artist who labors not for 
profit or fame, but to express in his art high 
aspirations and a touch of the eternally 
Beautiful, will inspire the world in countless 
ways undreamt of by one to whom art is a 
commercial enterprise. For if we approach 
the Shrine of the Spirit, seeking its imper- 
ishable treasures in order that we may give 
them to others, our hands will be filled to 
overflowing; but if we go there asking for 
some gift for ourselves, we shall go away 
empty-handed. 

Paradox as it may seem, it is nevertheless 
true that Nature pours her treasures at the 
feet of those who, though not seeking them, 
yet work as those do who desire them. So 
long as we desire and hunger for possessions, 
-just so long must we struggle and battle to 
obtain them; when we desire them no more 



36 THE SECRET OF HAPPINESS 

and only use them when they come for the 
helping of others, they flood upon us from 
all sides. 

A farmer tilling his fields, an artisan 
handling his tools, are serving humanity if 
they labor to provide for others and not 
merely to get the profits of their industry. 
The scientist who seeks not fame and recog- 
nition but the enrichment of the world, the 
priest who loves his flock, the King who 
guards his people, are all serving, and the 
fullness of their happiness will be proportion- 
ate to the extent to which they are able to 
forget themselves and their own desires. 

"Man can only be happy when he ceases 
striving to be happy, 55 was the profound con- 
clusion reached many centuries ago by a 
school of philosophers. So long as we seek 
happiness for ourselves we do not find it; 
when we seek to make others happy, the long- 
sought treasure is found. Nature is churlish 
of misers and ever baffles them in their efforts 
to get something for themselves; this is the 
way by which we are taught, this the means 



THE FRUIT OF ACTION 37 

by which we grow from soul-childhood to soul- 
maturity. Once the lesson of unselfishness is 
learned, and our sole aspiration is to serve 
and help, then Nature utilizes us to distribute 
her bounties to her children. Most men have 
not yet glimpsed this possibility; when gifts 
come they regard them as their own and hold 
them selfishly, not realizing that Nature's in- 
tention was to have them act as agents 
through which she could give her blessings to 
the world. The more we learn to act as chan- 
nels the greater the opportunities offered by 
Nature for service. And remember, Nature 
is God in manifestation. 

Life's Lessons 

No matter what occupation a man may 
have, no matter in what station of life he may 
stand, if he works for the sake of the work 
and not for its fruit, if he works because he 
wishes to help others and not for any rewards 
which may come through his efforts, then he 
is serving loyally and well. This is especially 



38 THE SECRET OF HAPPINESS 

true if he seeks for perfection in his labor and 
is content to do his own duty, not wanting 
always to follow the occupation or activity 
of some one else, but doing successfully the 
work which comes to him to perform. Each 
human being is marked by his capacities, his 
limitations, his aptitudes, for a certain line of 
activity, and true service is to do as faithfully 
as possible the duties and labors connected 
with that line. As is written in a scripture 
considered of hoary antiquity even by those 
who built what are now crumbling ruins : 

Better one's own duty, though destitute of merit, 
than the duty of another, well- discharged. Better 
death in the discharge of one's own duty; the duty 
of another is full of danger. 

If this attitude is adopted, happiness is 
inevitable, and it all comes about, not through 
any change in outer life, not through divine 
favoritism or caprice, not through ease or 
luxury, position or honors, but solely through 
the way we regard the world, our neighbors 
and our work. 

Do not complain because other men hold 



THE FRUIT OF ACTION 



39 



higher stations in life, do not blame destiny 
for the portion allotted, but strive to realize 
that each one of us is now living in the 
environment which can best and most quickly 
teach us certain lessons which we must acquire 
before we can go further along the pathway 
leading to Perfection. 

It is a fundamental teaching of occultism*; 
that destiny is the product of human effort; 
that a man's character, environment and op- 
portunities — the three factors which make up 
destiny — are determined, not by an inscruta- 
ble Providence whose workings may not be 
questioned, but by the thoughts, desires and 
actions habitual to that man during the earlier 
years of this life and during previous lives 
spent by him on earth in other physical bodies. 

So instead of grumbling at the conditions 
in which we find ourselves- — which after all 
are of our own making — we should seek to 
discover the lessons of life taught by our 
environment. When these lessons are once 
mastered the environment changes for a better 
one, where greater and more important in- 



40 THE SECRET OF HAPPINESS 



struction awaits us, for this world-school is 
guided by divine Wisdom. Do not shrink 
from the storms of life; use them to advan- 
tage. A vessel, which during a calm lies idle 
with lazy, flapping sails, can make swift 
progress — in a storm — if a skilful and daring 
hand is at the helm. 



CHAPTER V 

THE POTENCY OF THOUGHT 

Use your thought-power every day for good pur- 
poses ; be a force in the direction of evolution. Think 
each day of some one whom you know to be in sorrow, 
or suffering, or in need of help, and pour out loving 
thought upon him. 

— At the Feet of the Master 

The Thought Atmosphere 

There are many ways by which we may 
help people around us, but the most potent 
of all is the service we can do by means of 
deliberate and powerful thinking. In the eyes 
of the world, which judges only by outer 
things, the feeding of the hungry and the 
assisting of the poor are the most praise- 
worthy ways of serving, but those who know 
something of the inner side of life, realize 
that physical actions are feeble in their results 
compared to the lasting and wonderful effects 
of thought. 

41 



42 



THE SECRET OF HAPPINESS 



It is important to remember that the 
thoughts which fill our minds send waves of 
vibrating force rippling out from us in ever- 
widening circles, which distinctly influence 
for good or ill all who come into our neigh- 
borhood. We do not think unto ourselves; 
our thoughts wing their way to the minds of 
others, bearing their message of joy or sor- 
row, courage or depression. In the subtle 
world a thought of anger is a blow, a thought 
of love a caress. 

Thus we are all immeshed in a web of inter- 
weaving thought-currents. Many ideas 
which come to us, feelings which stir us and 
passions which trouble us, first arose in the 
minds of others and are only reproduced in 
our consciousness. 

This fact, that our thoughts do not influ- 
ence ourselves alone, is of great importance, 
because it forces us to realize that we have a 
grave duty towards others, not only with 
regard to the thoughts we generate, but also 
in connection with the images and feelings 



THE POTENCY OF THOUGHT 



43 



which we permit our minds to reproduce from 
the mental currents round us. It is possible 
to train our minds until they respond only 
to that which is best and noblest, and until 
they instinctively throw off any influence 
which tends to degrade or coarsen. 

This purines the thought atmosphere which 
we carry round with us — for each human 
being is surrounded with a cloud of his own 
thought-images, desires, moods, feelings and 
passions — -and when w r e come near another 
person we powerfully influence him for good, 
even though w x e may not have this intention 
in mind. What we are is much more impor- 
tant than what w r e say. If we desire to serve, 
it is imperative that we should understand 
something at least of the possibilities and 
nature of mental forces. 

The Need fob, Control 

If we are really in earnest we ought care- 
fully to study our habitual thoughts, our 



44< THE SECRET OF HAPPINESS 



pet likings and dislikings, and ask ourselves 
squarely why we should continue to criticize 
others and make ungracious comments on 
them, why we should dwell upon their failings 
instead of their virtues, why we should ever 
permit ourselves to send out hateful and 
spiteful thoughts, when every mental force 
so generated works harm upon its object. 
Should we not train ourselves to become so 
alert and self-collected as to be aware in- 
stantly of the nature of our thoughts, and 
be able to substitute a good wish and a loving 
greeting for every budding tendency towards 
anger, impatience, dislike, or jealousy? 

When we learn thus to control our 
thoughts we avoid practically all risk of ever 
injuring another, because mastery of thought 
implies also the control of speech and action, 
both of which result from thought. Without 
such control, we may unconsciously push a 
hesitating man over a moral precipice on the 
brink of which he is standing, but over which, 
if we had not given him that little mental 
push, he would not have fallen. In such a 



THE POTENCY OF THOUGHT 45 

case we are partially responsible for the re- 
sult of his acts. 

The thoughts that we think should be 
cheerful, calm and unruffled, free from prej- 
udice and irritability, and above all true. If 
we only could take men as we find them, 
instead of imagining that they ought to fit 
themselves into our preconceptions of what 
they should be, we would then never do them 
an injustice. When we cast off a person 
because he does not come up to the ideal 
which we have made of him, we do him serious 
wrong, for we can never be disappointed ii> 
another if we have estimated his character 
correctly. We should not make others bear 
the penalty of our inability to judge char- 
acter. 

Winged Messengers 

It is a great privilege to think strong, 
beautiful and helpful thoughts ; and when we 
deliberately practise the sending of thoughts 
along useful channels for the helping of 
others, we actually create a host of winged 



46 



THE SECRET OF HAPPINESS 



messengers which speed to those about whom 
we are thinking and encourage or comfort 
according to the nature of the thoughts that 
gave them birth. 

It is related in an Eastern tale which tells 
of the life of the Lord Buddha that "as the 
day began to dawn, rising from his couch he 
w r ould seat himself, and calling up before his 
mind the folk in the world-, he would consider 
the aspirations which they, in previous births, 
had formed, and think over the means by 
which he could help them to attain thereto. 5 ' 

It would be well for us to help others in 
a similar manner, to think each morning of 
the welfare of others, to recall to mind those 
whom we know to be in need or in trouble, 
and deliberately to send, with all the power 
we possess, thoughts of encouragement, con- 
solation and good cheer. We might watch 
for the tired and worn faces among the peo- 
ple whom we pass upon the street, or who sit 
near us as we ride in a street car, and send 
to them in physical silence, bu£ with mental 
intensity, winged messengers that will lift 



THE POTENCY OF THOUGHT 47 



from their shoulders something of the care 
and anxiety which burdens them. 

This work will be unnoticed, it will be done 
without thanks, but if we observe we shall 
find that it inevitably produces its result, and 
that those whom we thus seek to help are 
encouraged and become more cheerful and 
therefore better able to face their problems 
than they were before. What greater happi- 
ness than thus to serve a fainting brother, 
unthanked, unknown! 

The thoughts and feelings which radiate 
from us should be pure, serene and full of 
kindliness, love and compassion. If we meet 
imperiousness with courtesy, harshness with 
gentleness, indifference with thoughtful re- 
gard, worry with optimism, suspicion with 
candor, haste with deliberation, we shall 
truly be serving with our thoughts. 

Learning to Think 

Our usefulness will be greatly increased if 
we learn how to think, Many people's 



48 THE SECRET OF HAPPINESS 

thoughts are hazy and vague, cloudy m out- 
line, uncertain in meaning, wavering in inten- 
tion. If we wish a thought to produce a 
powerful and immediate effect, we must think 
it distinctly and intently, formulating in our 
minds exactly the idea we wish to express or 
convey, and then send it with deliberate in- 
tention to the person for whom it is intended. 
If we let the mind wander or permit irrelevant 
thoughts to creep in, our efforts are thereby 
rendered much less effective. 

If we have once learned to think, much 
good may be done by turning our concen- 
trated attention for a few minutes each day 
upon some great ideal of life and thinking 
about it intently, dwelling upon its inspira- 
tion and attractiveness as well as upon its 
value in daily life and its influence upon char- 
acter. The clear thought-images produced 
by such thinking are potent agents for wide- 
spread good, because their vibrations con- 
tinue for a long time, and tend to reproduce 
themselves in receptive minds, thereby affect- 
ing many people who come in touch with 



THE POTENCY OF THOUGHT 49 

them mentally. The more ideals we are able 
to generate within our minds and express in 
our lives, the quicker will be the advancement 
of the world. 



CHAPTER VI 



THE ALCHEMY OF LOVE 

Of all the Qualifications, Love is the most impor- 
tant, for if it is strong enough in a man, it forces 
him to acquire all the rest, and all the rest without 
it would never be sufficient. 

— At the Feet of the Master 

A Powerful, Motive 

The most powerful motive for service is 
love which, if even partially realized, quickly 
forces a man to forget himself and inspires 
him with the wish of serving perfectly. Love 
is not sentimentalism, nor is it to be con- 
founded with that imitation which so many 
profess, that is felt only when it is appre- 
ciated and returned. Love is that deep- 
rooted yearning to help others, that all-com- 
pelling emotion which makes others dearer 
than oneself, which impels us to feel that the 
welfare, happiness and well-being of others 
are infinitely more important than our own. 
It makes the thought of others our greatest 
50 



THE ALCHEMY OF LOVE 



51 



satisfaction, work for them our greatest joy, 
service of our brothers our greatest privilege, 
Such an emotion persists amid storms and 
trials, it is unchanged though the object of 
its affection remains indifferent, it asks 
nothing in return, it only longs to give ; it 
does not require gratitude for its sustenance, 
nor appreciation for its growth, for such 
love is its own justification for existence. It 
radiates from the heart without a thought 
of receiving anything in return, and its price- 
less quality lies in the fact that its essence is 
forgetfulness of self. 

Love divine, through all things flowing, thou through 

us dost ever flow — 
Little channels, larger growing as we learn to love 

and know, 

As we learn the joy of giving, finding as the days 
go by 

Love is life, the only living; when we love no more, 
we die. 

The Realm of Love 

At first, perhaps, love is felt only for an 
individual and is tinged with passion, with 



52 THE SECRET OF HAPPINESS 

selfishness and the longing for possession, 
but as life after life on earth unfolds its 
experience to the growing soul, ever deeper 
and more universal emotions are felt, and the 
love emotion becomes slowly purged of these 
unlovely tendencies. Its realm extends, and 
includes no longer one only, but many— an 
ever-increasing number; first, the nearest and 
dearest friends, then one's companions, and 
finally the whole of humanity. When this 
last stage is reached the longing for posses- 
sion drops away, for the greatest joy lies in 
serving the object of affection, not in owner- 
ship. 

The Nature of Love 

If we would understand the nature of love 
we must look into the depths of the human 
consciousness until we find the Divine that is 
concealed there. It is the inner man that 
we love, not the mere outer personality with 
its weaknesses and failings ; it is the Divine 
within each one which calls forth the Divine 



THE ALCHEMY OF LOVE 



53 



from us, and in friendship and love we see 
the workings of a consciousness which tran- 
scends the mind and its limited capacities. In 
the words of a poet: 

God nods to God when friend meets friend. 

It is helpful to learn to distinguish between 
the higher self within us, the soul conscious- 
ness, which endures and grows ever wiser 
during the long pilgrimage, the milestones 
of which are the lives we live on earth, and 
the rather petty, personal consciousness that 
is all the soul is able to express in the brain 
during any one life. The personal conscious- 
ness is that which is interested in stock re- 
ports, baseball, the dinner table, dress, and 
gossip ; the higher consciousness is that which 
inclines us to humanitarian movements, to the 
study of science, art, philosophy, and re- 
ligions, to the search for truth and love, and 
to the practice of a noble life. The person- 
ality is only a useful instrument by means 
of which the soul takes part in the activities 



54 THE SECRET OF HAPPINESS 

of the world and gains the experience it needs 
for its growth. 

Oddly enough, however, the personality, 
limited as it is by the comparatively unre- 
sponsive brain, often regards itself as the 
whole consciousness, and denies the existence 
of that larger soul-consciousness of which it 
is but a part. But when we learn to live 
here on earth a useful life moulded along 
spiritual lines, the limits of the personality 
slowly widen until in time we become con- 
sciously aware of the existence and interests 
of that higher self, the soul, which is the root 
of our life. 

If in meeting men and women we try to 
disregard this outer personality, and strip 
away all the little traits and mannerisms, all 
the peculiarities of thinking cultivated by en- 
vironment and education, we shall find that 
behind each human consciousness is a sub- 
stratum of Spirit which is the same in all. 
Mentally and physically we differ from each 
other, but spiritually we are one. In the 
physical world this inner unity manifests as 



THE ALCHEMY OF LOVE 



55 



love which is, therefore, the truest expression 
of the Divine in us. 

When we go among men let us strive to 
let the indwelling Divinity shine forth in un- 
diminished splendor, by pouring out love from 
our hearts to all about us, and let no one 
pass by without some touch of its trans- 
forming power, without some gift from our 
spiritual treasury. Give your service to the 
world because you love that world and all the 
creatures in it. Do not restrict your love to 
humanity alone, but let it encompass both 
plants and animals as well, so that you may 
walk along the ways of life as the lover of 
every creature, as the servant of all that 
lives. 

It is our duty to remain always calm and 
joyous, and never to permit depression to 
darken our thoughts ; it is a privilege to carry 
happiness with us wherever we go — for this 
world is full of sorrow— and to act as chan- 
nels for the divine Love, that it may pour 
outwards to all who suffer and bring consola- 
tion and peace. 



56 



the secret of happiness 
The Magic Glow 



When thus we move amongst mankind, re- 
garding each human being as our brother, to 
be loved and if need be, protected, sheltered, 
and guided, we shall find that all unkindness 
vanishes, that it is impossible for us to think 
uncharitable thoughts about another or to 
hold him up to ridicule or criticism. How 
can we do so if we really love? The wel- 
fare of a brother is too precious a thing to 
be lightly subjected to scathing words or dis- 
paragement. Rather we shall strive to find 
his loveliest traits of character and dwell upon 
them, rejoicing in the fact that he possesses 
such qualities. We shall shrink from expos- 
ing him and speaking of his mistakes or 
weaknesses to others. Our hearts would cry 
out against such an act, and besides, we know 
that the thoughts we should generate while 
thus speaking of him would injure and drag 
him downwards, while the thoughts stirred 
up in those who listen to our gossip would 
likewise retard his growth and make his 



THE ALCHEMY OF LOVE 57 



striving for a better life doubly hard. So 
love dictates silence with regard to the fail- 
ings of those who are dear to us— and all 
men are dear if we have learned to love. 
How much happier this world would be if 
only a little touch of brotherly love silenced 
the lips of every gossip and tale-bearer! 

If we really love others nothing we can 
do for them seems too much; and if we are 
free from selfishness we shall not mind 
whether they appreciate what we do or re- 
main indifferent. We have loved and acted 
for the sake of that love and not for the 
sake of anything that the loved one can do 
in return. When this attitude in life is 
once gained, when love is the motive force 
for action, when there radiates from us true 
affection for mankind with all its weaknesses 
and failings, then a most wondrous glow 
transforms the world in which we live. It no 
longer appears grey and commonplace; it is 
tinged with a mystic radiance which endears 
to us all things, all living creatures. The 
sting of disappointment, of discouragement 



58 THE SECRET OF HAPPINESS 



and despair is utterly and wholly taken away. 
It is as if we realized for a moment some- 
thing of the stupendous meaning of that oft- 
repeated phrase: "In Him we live and move 
and have our being." For when we learn 
thus to love and act and serve because of our 
affection for humanity, we are drawn closer 
to that great divine Heart in whose immeas- 
urable Love we are ever bathed. 



CHAPTER VII 

THE APOTHEOSIS OF SERVICE 

If you yearn to be one with God, it is not for your 
own sake; it is that you may be a channel through 
which His love may flow to reach your fellow-men. 
He who is on the Path exists not for himself, but for 
others ; he has forgotten himself, in order that he may 
serve them. 

— At the Feet of the Master 

The Razor's Edge 

No better description can be given of the 
Path of occult development than that it is 
the apotheosis of service. This Path has 
been described in ancient scriptures as being 
as narrow and as difficult to tread as the edge 
of a razor, and the description is a graphic 
one, for those who walk along it need poise 
above all else. We have also been told that 
there are many who seek but few that find it ; 
and this again is borne out by experience, 
because so very few have the insight, the 
59 



60 THE SECRET OF HAPPINESS 

wisdom and the balance to tread it. The 
nature of its aims and methods have often 
been misunderstood, not only by unlearned 
outsiders, but frequently by the aspirants 
themselves. 

The "Path" is a poetical term, descriptive 
of the gradual change which must take place 
in the consciousness of a human being before 
he can attain to Perfection and become one 
of Those who guard and guide the world. 
Advancement along this Path does not imply 
a movement in any direction, but only a 
change in the aspirant's attitude towards life 
and his fellow-men. While treading it, great 
power must be developed, true wisdom gained, 
unselfish love awakened, but the end of it all 
is not the glorification of the individual, but 
the moulding of a perfect servant of 
humanity. 

Those whom Occultists call the Masters — 
those Perfected Men who have reached the 
goal of human evolution— remain in touch 
with the world and assist earnest and deter- 
mined aspirants to reach Their spiritual level, 



THE APOTHEOSIS OF SERVICE 61 

not for the sake of the aspirants, but because 
such pupils, working as apprentices under 
the direction of the Masters, can greatly 
assist in hastening the evolution of the race 
as a whole. Although humanity, taking it in 
the mass, is slowly evolving towards spiritual- 
ity, not all of its members will become what 
is meant in the strict sense of the term by 
"Occultist." 

What Constitutes an Occultist 

An Occultist is one who, becoming aware 
of the fact that the whole evolution on this 
planet is governed and controlled by a 
mighty spiritual Organization of Perfected 
Men, has decided henceforth to forego all 
personal ambitions and, by gaining a knowl- 
edge of the laws of nature, to co-operate 
intelligently with the plans of this Organiza- 
tion. 

The name "Occultist 5 ' has been terribly de- 
graded of recent years by those who ha-ve 
prostituted their psychic faculties to selfish 



62 THE SECRET OF HAPPINESS 

and commercial ends. In popular opinion, an 
Occultist is a wonder-worker, a producer of 
phenomena, a somewhat unpleasant person of 
doubtful reputation who professes to be in 
touch with things unseen and to be able to 
read the past, present and future with uner- 
ring accuracy. 

In real life, a true Occultist— of whom 
there are as yet very few — is a man of noble 
character, distinguished by his ideals and 
ability, whose dominant trait is his intense 
desire to help his fellow-men — the will 
to serve. He may be psychic, but many times 
he is not, for the leading of the occult life 
does not necessarily imply any effort to 
awaken psychic powers; in all cases, how- 
ever, he is a power for good, a lover of 
mankind. 

The Life of the Occultist 

Naturally, a would-be Occultist's first effort 
is directed towards the purification of his 
character and the awakening of every latent 



THE APOTHEOSIS OF SERVICE 63 

capacity of mind and heart, but he should 
never forget — as too many do — that he is 
seeking to become a Servant of humanity and 
that, therefore, his training will primarily 
consist of serving others now, with his exist- 
ing opportunities and abilities. He must 
develop strength and self -initiative so that he 
does not need to be constantly directed like 
a child, yet he must not become headstrong 
and egotistical, thinking that his. own plans 
are the best, and refusing to co-operate with 
those who may be his superiors either in expe- 
rience or by virtue of the offices they hold. 
The young Occultist must above all else learn 
to obey as well as to command, for it often- 
times takes greater strength to be a reliable 
and trustworthy follower than it does to be 
a leader independent of all exterior guidance. 

The aspirant should also learn to work for 
nothing in return for his efforts, to expect 
nothing in the way of reward; should ad- 
vancement come, it is far better that it come 
as a surprise than as something for which 
he has been yearning; indeecl, advancement 



64 THE SECRET OF HAPPINESS 

does not come so long as he expects it. Those 
who are always expecting favors are exactly 
those who do not advance; those who are 
continually aiding their fellows to go for- 
ward are precisely those who go forward 
themselves. 

The aspirant will do well to develop within 
himself the qualifications of a pioneer, to be 
willing to hew his way into unknown regions, 
to teach an unpopular doctrine, to stand 
opposition, to be undisturbed by ridicule, to 
labor without honor, recognition, or thanks. 
He ought to be willing to endure hardship, 
nay, even harshness and open enmity, for the 
sake of the truths which have been entrusted 
to him to give to the world. 

If we would become disciples of a Master 
we must acquire the courage and hardihood 
of the pathfinder, since the lessons which such 
a Teacher has in mind for the instruction of 
humanity are always a little in advance of 
the popular point of view, and those who ad- 
vance any idea, no matter how true, which is 
ahead of the thought of the time, are sure 



THE APOTHEOSIS OF SERVICE 



65 



to meet with opposition and condemnation. 
The "mad fancies" of one age become the 
wisdom of the next. 

A fatal weakness that must be overcome is 
the common tendency to place one's person- 
ality first and the w T ork second, to become de- 
pressed with failure, proud with success, vain 
with applause, conceited with flattery, and to 
regard the doer as of more importance than 
the work done. The greatest barrier to spirit- 
ual progress is egotism, even as the greatest 
aid to it is the ability to forget entirely about 
oneself, one's predilections, one's desires and 
even one's aspirations, and to throw oneself 
whole-heartedly into the work which has been 
assigned. 

Power must be developed — the power to do 
and accomplish what is seen to be right. So 
many aspirants have the best wishes and 
aspirations in the world, and their minds are 
filled with many good thoughts- — and yet 
somehow they seem unable to put them into 
effect in their own lives, to live them, as well 
as dream over them. Their thoughts, often 



66 THE SECRET OF HAPPINESS 

rather vague and unformed, remain aspira- 1 
tions only, because of the lack of power to 
crystallize them into qualities of character. 
This state of things may be overcome by 
continuous effort and dogged determination. 

But with the effort to acquire power, care 
should be taken not to fall into the error of 
domineering over others and seeking to force 
them along a certain line which we think to 
be right. We should give to each man the 
freedom we demand for ourselves, and strictly 
follow the advice to "mind our own business." 
In truth, we have enough to do in guiding 
our own footsteps along the razor Path of 
Occultism without trying to urge others to 
tread it in our way. It is well for us to bear 
in mind the words of a Master, that "the 
power which the disciple must covet is that 
which will make him appear as nothing in 
the eyes of men." 

Another qualification it is most advisable 
to acquire, because of its usefulness, is that 
of adaptability; for the aspirant who is 
entering a life of unselfish service and longs 



THE APOTHEOSIS OF SERVICE 67 

to help his fellow-men with all the intensity 
of his nature, may be sent if he is willing, 
to any part of the world to do any kind of 
work — whatever task most needs to be done 
at that particular moment. If we are set in 
our ways, if we think to ourselves that we 
will help in this way and in this way only, 
we often throw away priceless opportunities 
by our lack of adaptability, which in itself 
implies an intrusion of the personality. 

If we have the spirit of the true Occultist 
within us, we shall always hold in our minds 
the thought that we are willing to go any- 
where and do anything at any time for the 
service of others. Of course, circumstances 
of daily life may often make this impossible, 
but the thought should dwell with us never- 
theless, for in the end it will bring freedom 
to realize the ideal. 

In our efforts to serve others, we should 
be careful not to intrude our own feelings to 
the extent that we are unwilling to help those 
whom we dislike, or of whose character we 
disapprove. It has been said by one who is 



68 THE SECRET OF HAPPINESS 



old in the experience of the world, that if 
we labor only with those few friends who are 
dear to us and decline to assist those to whom 
we do not feel attracted, we shall always re- 
main in the lower ranks of workers. 

We should not forget also that gentleness 
and courtesy are never incompatible with a 
vigorous spiritual life; rather, that those who 
are most truly the embodiments of the Divine 
are most gentle, thoughtful and courteous in 
all their dealings with their fellows. Stead- 
fastness also is a virtue without price, for if 
we have made it our own, we cannot be swayed 
from the path we have chosen by any unde- 
sirable influence from without; and when we 
have offered our devotion to a leader whom 
we trust, that devotion will remain unchanged* 
no matter what may happen, and our loyalty 
will remain unshaken through every storm 
and trial. 

If we are steadfast in our endeavors, loyal 
to our ideals and leaders, persevering in our 
attempts to develop character ; if we seek to 
advance the welfare of the world, to bring 



THE APOTHEOSIS OF SERVICE 69 

light and help to others, to give wisdom to 
those who are in darkness and consolation to 
those who sorrow; if we earnestly strive to 
put the needs of our fellows before our own, 
and to love humanity so much that we are 
willing to sacrifice our pleasure to give happi- 
ness to our brothers, we shall then be able to 
tread that Path, as narrow as the edge of a 
razor, which leads to the Masters and the 
Light Eternal. 

The World-Plan 

As we gain knowledge through careful 
study and observation, and as our intuitions 
slowly become more active with our growth, 
we shall begin to realize, truth by truth, fact 
by fact, that all evolution is proceeding along 
the lines of a mighty plan, and that nothing, 
however trivial, is happening by chance, but 
that all things great and small are guided to 
their fulfilment by superb Intelligence, and 
that every event takes place for the final good 
of every living creature. 



70 THE SECRET OF HAPPINESS 

We shall also learn more of the great Mas- 
ters who are guiding the workings of this 
plan, the mighty spiritual Teachers — so mar- 
vellous in Their wisdom, so irresistible in 
Their power, so perfect in Their divine man- 
hood — who are helping the race in order that 
its evolution may be quickened, its progress 
unimpeded. Later on, as we progress still 
more, and become eager to be taught, we 
shall learn of the conditions upon which these 
Masters have accepted pupils in the past, and 
will accept promising people today as appren- 
tices to assist Them directly in Their benefi- 
cent work. 

The life which They lay down as a pre- 
liminary step to apprenticeship is governed 
by the noblest ideals, yet balanced by excel- 
lent common-sense; and the results, even so 
far as the character alone is concerned, are 
wholly desirable. But the aspirant must be 
willing to practise unselfishness in all his 
daily duties ; it is useless to attempt the occult 
life in order to gain some personal advan- 
tage, for the locked door which leads to the 



THE APOTHEOSIS OF SERVICE 71 

Sanctuary cannot be opened without the key 
of love, nor will the sentinels without permit 
one to pass who cannot give with his life, and 
not merely with his lips, the password of 
service. But on this Path is found the great- 
est happiness of which the human heart is 
capable, for happiness is born of self-forget- 
fulness, a quality without which spiritual 
progress is impossible. 

Occult Progress 

In order to progress intelligently it is 
essential to have a knowledge of things unseen 
as well as seen, not necessarily gained by 
direct vision of the invisible realm which sur- 
rounds us, but through careful study of the 
teachings of those who know and do not 
speak from theory alone. Many aspirants 
have taken this to mean that they must study 
all the time, and so their leisure hours are 
spent in the gathering of facts, in the build- 
ing up of a scheme of knowledge in their 
minds. All this has its value which should 



72 THE SECRET OF HAPPINESS 

not be underestimated, but study alone is not 
enough, and will not lead one to the feet of 
the Master. 

Emphasis has also been laid on the need 
of meditation, of devoting daily a certain 
portion of time to inward-turned contempla- 
tion, to the endeavor to grasp spiritual veri- 
ties, facts too lofty and subtle for our brain 
consciousness normally to respond. We find 
many earnest people who, misinterpreting the 
nature and purpose of meditation, spend 
hours in practising this kind of mental and 
spiritual gymnastics. While some supple- 
ment their efforts with study, others spend 
all their spare time in meditation. Medita- 
tion is undoubtedly of great value in the 
cultivation of character and for disciplining 
the consciousness, but stress must be laid on 
the fact that meditation alone will not lead 
one to the Teacher. 

Nor should it be thought for a moment 
that progress comes from longing for per- 
sonal advancement and stature, nor does it 
follow that those who are anxiously intro- 



THE APOTHEOSIS OF SERVICE 73 

spective and are heart-broken over every lit- 
tle fault they find in themselves, will soon 
become accepted as disciples. 

Study aids us because it gives us knowl- 
edge to guide our lives and actions; medita- 
tion is of assistance because it strengthens 
the mind, as gymnastic exercises build up the 
muscles; self-knowledge is of value because 
it reveals our weaknesses and assists in char- 
acter-building ; all these things are good, but 
unless supplemented and dominated by for- 
getfulness of self and service of others, we 
shall "mark time" instead of marching for- 
ward. The keynote of spiritual and occult 
progress is service, and he who aspires should 
engrave this word deep upon the tablets of 
his heart. 

We must do each piece of work that comes 
to us as perfectly as we can, and when we 
serve we should throw our whole heart into 
that which we do, not making a task of it, 
not thinking how hard it is to give time and 
energy, but rejoicing that we are making 
each day more radiant and beautiful, that we 



74 THE SECRET OF HAPPINESS 

are helping mankind to become more happy 
by the work which we are privileged to do. 
If we bear this ideal with us, if we strive to 
apotheosize service, we are on the road to 
becoming Occultists in reality, and we are 
approaching the time when we shall be per- 
mitted to work directly and consciously with 
Those who are in charge of evolution. 

Spiritual Channels 

As we go about our duties from day to 
day — no matter how simple and uninspiring 
they may be — as we endeavor with steadfast 
earnestness to take our place among the help- 
ers of mankind, our efforts are bound to at- 
tract the attention of some great Teacher — 
to whose spiritual vision the minds of all men 
are as visible and plain as the pages of an 
open book — and when His thought once 
rests with approval upon us, we shall become 
channels for spiritual forces which have their 
source in the changeless love and infinite com- 
passion of the Master. Then we shall be- 



THE APOTHEOSIS OF SERVICE 75 

come as suns among men, radiating out to all 
we meet, influences that console and bless, 
energies that encourage and strengthen. 

So let us turn our faces toward these Great 
Ones, toward the ideal of service which we 
are told is the Way to Them, and with child- 
like sincerity and singleness of purpose serve 
our fellows earnestly and eagerly, ever taking 
advantage of the many opportunities about 
us, never intrusive, yet always attentive. If 
we fill our hearts with the thought of others, 
if we replace selfish desires by unselfish aspira- 
tions, then it may be that one of the great 
Masters of Love and Compassion will see fit 
to accept us among His chosen band of ap- 
prentices. And if that comes to pass, then 
happy will the day be, and happy the life 
that shall follow, though filled with labor and 
with many trials, for it will be a life of 
service, and service is the secret of happiness. 



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